Just wondering if you accept BPO jobs on neighbors & people you know? And if you have a good chance of being seen by them would you do it anyway?
Thanks!

Sure I would do it in a second. Why not, at least I know I'm not going to get SHOT! LOL

Yes, I take them on people that I know.....and yes, I've SOOOO been busted once. I was all in stealth mode taking pics and he was across the street at his neighbors house and saw me....He came out and was waving at me!!

In that instance the homeowner had already spoken with me about doing a re-fi so I just told them their lender wanted updated pics. No big deal. When you live in a small town you occasionally get a BPO on someone you know.

I did a pre-foreclosure BPO on a neighbor's house. It was vacant and I didn't know the owners when they had lived there. As it happens in small towns, (mine's 100,000), soon after I met the owner in an unrelated transaction and we figured out where each other lived. It was his old childhood home and he was fixing it up to sell. Of course, he didn't mention he was behind on payments and I didn't bring up the BPO.

I also recently accepted an interior for a home equity line and when I realized that the owner was an old high school friend I asked for it to be reassigned. I envisioned the worst case scenerio being problems with the house and this person asking me not to report it and me reporting it anyway and a denial of the equity line with ensuing anger and blame. And even if that didn't happen, which it most likely would not, many folks are private about their finances and I wanted to avoid a possible uncomfortable situation.

try one on your broker's house.....i turned that one down....turns out it was for a home equity line...

try one on your sister's house! Her house is paid for, but apparently an investor is trying to buy up sevearl houses in her area, and this was for him to place an offer. I declined it, as I could not be impartial. Wish I could tell her about some guy trying to get a value on her house so he could low-ball an offer to her, but I figure that would (even though I declined the order) violate the confidentiality requirements).
I feel sorry for the guy if he submits an offer to her!lol

I did a pre-foreclosure BPO on one of the sales agent in my office, I was glad she was not at home when I took the pictures.

I've done one for someone I worked closely with at the local chamber of commerce... for a second, interior so no secret.

Got an order for one I had listed... by a PITA client of my broker (a FREE refferal, yipee... three missed apointments, one of which he called me and told me he was on his way an hour late and still never came) Of course I turned that down, then my broker told him to go away.

I guess you don't exactly have an interest in a fellow agent in your office's home, but I'd turn that one down. You sure do on your broker's house (technically he'd be doing a BPO on his own property, oops!)

Zeph... I think you'd be within the bounds of ethics to tell your sister someone might be making an low-ball offer on her home and to call you if they do. She'll want all the gossip, just say "can't tell ya, but call me if you get an offer" That's what I'd do anyway.

I've done three, all pre-foreclosure, all on ex-girlfriends! Top that!

How many broke ex-girlfriends do you have???

Were you nice, or at least objective???

I can't top that.

Yep just had this happen to me on Friday. I accepted a BPO for a multi unit property, the address sounded familiar. Come to find out the Boss owns that property and he's behind in his mortgage. I decided to ask that the BPO be reassigned to another agent they agreed with me citing conflict of interest. I wanted no part of that order whew...

I've never done one on someone I knew personally, but I've done several on other agent's homes.

ROFLMAO @ Rising Realtor Only Dating Broke Women...(Just Kiddind)

Well, that's what my exes get for letting me slip away. If they had behaved themselves, they would be blessed like me and not broke! :p

Thank for the replies!

Rising Realtor, here's a place to meet your next girlfriend.

***any apartment washateria***

Otherwise, my friend, your days are numbered. The neighbors will find you slumped over your steering wheel with your camera still on and...well, it won't be pretty.

So, repeat after me:

DON'T DATE HOMEOWNERS
DON'T DATE HOMEOWNERS
DON'T DATE HOMEOWNERS

LOL @ Darlene!!

I have had three for my neighbors, two on the same street. One of teh neighbors is VERY weird and the other was rarely seen. The third one was a busted meth lab (and I live in a nice area!).